


Growing pains

by chanmosphere



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Hybrids AU, M/M, Mild Angst, age gap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 18:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13619007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanmosphere/pseuds/chanmosphere
Summary: Chanyeol faces the struggles of growing up with Baekhyun by his side.





	1. Chapter 1

He needs to reevaluate his decisions in life.

That's what Baekhyun thinks as he stands in his living room, his mouth hanging open and his eyes teary because there it is, his new and very expensive couch, ripped apart, synthetic stuffing flying everywhere, the cushions nowhere to be seen and small pieces of fabric still lingering in the air. He wants to cry and torture whoever did that to his precious piece of furniture, but then he hears the jingle of a bell and closes his eyes, counting to ten so he won’t lose it.

Baekhyun patiently waits for all hells to be unleashed.

"Hyung, you're back!" A voice screams and the sound of the jingle becomes louder. Baekhyun forces a smile as he sees the boy running towards him, a big smile on his lips, disheveled hair and messy clothes; tail wagging fast from side to side and his ears twitching constantly. Chanyeol is happy. Baekhyun knows Chanyeol is always happy and so, all anger is quickly washed away simply because he doesn’t have the heart to erase that precious smile from his face.

"Yeol." Baekhyun says, making it sound more like a plea for mercy.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" The hybrid exclaims and starts to move his hands frantically in front of Baekhyun's face. "I was sleeping with the window open and then the neighbor's cat came in and he tried to scratch me you know how much he hates me so I growled at him and he got angrier so we started a small fight and─"

"Yeol, Yeol stop." Baekhyun cuts him off. Chanyeol stops his fast blabbering, but keeps his mouth open for another second, remembering later that he has to breathe as he slumps down on what is left of the couch with a loud thud. Chanyeol squirms the moment his skin touches the scratched fabric, suddenly feeling itchy all over.

Baekhyun decides to ignore him, convinced that it’s just another of the hybrid’s quirks to get his attention. Instead, he looks around the room and finds all the windows closed, exactly how he left them this morning before leaving for work.

 _You love this boy more than anything_ ─Baekhyun says to himself─. _Keep calm and take a deep breath._

He sits on the arm chair and runs his fingers through his hair, letting out a long tired sigh. Chanyeol's ears perk up at how distressed his owner sounds and moves closer to him, sniffing cautiously and recognizing Baekhyun's smell like he always does every time he comes back home. It’s comforting for Chanyeol, Baekhyun knows, so he just let him be.

"I'm sorry, hyung." He whispers with a small sniffle and big, bright bicolor eyes. It’s impossible for Baekhyun to stay mad at those eyes and he knows he’s going to regret this again at some point of his life.

"It's okay, it's just a couch. Come here." Baekhyun says, patting his lap and Chanyeol happily shifts his position to rest his head on his owner's thighs. "But you have to promise me that you'll try to behave next time, okay?"

"I promise." Chanyeol answers, smiling up at him. Baekhyun smiles back and nods, even though he knows it’s a promise that is meant to be broken probably in the next five minutes.

They stay in silence for a while. Baekhyun thinking about getting another couch that Chanyeol can't destroy, maybe a wooden one or one of those uncomfortable love seats, but he ends up dismissing the ide as soon as it comes, he knows Chanyeol will find a way to make a mess, anyway.

The silence is suddenly broken by a whimper. Baekhyun frowns and looks down at Chanyeol, he hadn’t noticed the moment the hybrid had moved away and it’s now sitting back on the floor, squirming and twisting his arm back on an awkward way, trying to reach his back to scratch it.

"You okay?" Baekhyun asks him, worried.

"It's just... too itchy, I can't─" Chanyeol grunts and whines, twisting now his entire body.

"Please don't tell me you have fleas, I can't deal with─"

"Hyung! Of course not!" The hybrid exclaims, offended. "But it really itches!"

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and shakes his head. He takes Chanyeol by the arm and forces him to straighten up before he can hurt himself. Baekhyun urges him to stretch his arms up and Chanyeol does, still squirming a little, cheeks puffed and a stubborn pout on his face. Baekhyun removes his hybrid’s shirt and just as he thought, there are pieces of the synthetic stuffing sticking to his skin, making it all red and causing a small rash. Baekhyun sighs.

"Come on, you're going to take a bath while I make dinner, okay?"

Chanyeol’s right ear twitches at the mention of food and baths. He loves warm water, bubbles and Baekhyun’s cooking. He also loves to sniff on those shiny powders Baekhyun uses to make the water colorful and smell nice. Bath salts, his owner had told him. Chanyeol knows he has strictly forbidden to eat them and since he’s a good puppy, he obeys.

"Please don't make a mess!" Baekhyun yells from the kitchen when he hears Chanyeol running up the stairs, probably removing his clothes on the way and leaving them scattered all over the place.

When Baekhyun finishes with the food, he rushes upstairs, praying to find everything in order. He enters the bathroom to find a naked Chanyeol sitting inside the empty tub, covering his private area with his hands, swaying his tail impatiently and slightly out of breath for the run. Baekhyun can’t help but smile when he walks in to get Chanyeol’s favorite citrusy scented salts.

“I couldn’t remember which one is the hot water.” Chanyeol confesses with a small voice.

Baekhyun chuckles. "Get out for a moment, it’s going to be cold." He motions his hands at him.

"But I'm naked." Chanyeol whispers, his cheeks coloring of a light shade of pink.

"Don't be silly, come on." Baekhyun insists, but Chanyeol remains there, blinking up at him with his large eyes. “Fine.” He sighs. “Here’s your towel. Wrap it around you, I won’t look.” Baekhyun says as he turns his back to the hybrid.

Chanyeol steps out of the bathtub and quickly wraps it around his waist, sneaking glances at his owner to make sure he’s not cheating and looking. The hybrid has never been shy around Baekhyun, but lately, he’s been feeling a little bit weird and self-conscious about his body; Chanyeol knows the itchiness was not from the stuffing material of the couch, because just a few days ago, he had have to crawl on his back over the grass to get rid of it, dirtying his clothes and staining them of green. Also, gaining a scold from his owner. His voice is getting deeper and his nails sharper, he blames them for the scratches that appear on his body from time to time. His gums and teeth are hurting; he had wanted to explain Baekhyun that he just wanted to get some relief by chewing on something rough, that’s why he had bitten the corner of the coffee table, but he’s afraid that his owner won’t believe him and worse, he’s scare that Baekhyun won’t want him anymore once he notices all the changes his body is suffering. Plus, he’s also growing _down there_ and it feels weird.

Baekhyun announces the water is ready, pulling Chanyeol out of his thoughts. The hybrid moves fast to get in, letting out a long sigh at the warmth. Baekhyun rolls his sleeves up and kneels next to the tub, getting ready to wash his puppy, like he always does.

“Um… I can do it myself, hyung.” Chanyeol mutters. Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow, confused because it’s him the one always begging him to scratch his back and wash his hair.

“Are you sure?” Chanyeol nods. It takes Baekhyun a moment to convince himself of what his puppy is saying and accept to leave him alone. “Okay.” He says, albeit hesitantly. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Be careful and call me if you need me.” Baekhyun warns with a stern voice.

Baekhyun leaves the bathroom, still confused and a little bit worried about his hybrid’s behavior.

Bathing by himself is easier than Chanyeol thought and he’s proud of himself by the times he comes out of the bathroom and changes into his favorite pajamas. He goes back downstairs, pulled by the delicious smell of homemade fried chicken. He sits happily on his spot next to Baekhyun and begins munching on the food, feeling a bit of relief on his still aching teeth.

Baekhyun watches him eat with a smile on his face and a napkin ready to wipe the ketchup out of the puppy’s mouth and cheeks. All the anger from earlier is easily forgotten and even though he knows he should have given the puppy a much harsher warning for being a constant trouble, he’s incapable of being angry at him. Chanyeol is the definition of adorable.

Baekhyun sends him to brush his teeth and greasy fingers as soon as they’re finished with their food, he tells him to wait for him in bed, since Chanyeol had developed the habit of sleeping with him, which is probably not a really good idea. He doesn’t want Chanyeol to get too used to it, but he also can’t say no to him. Is not that he minds, really, but Chanyeol isn’t capable of staying still during the night. By now, Baekhyun is used to waking up with Chanyeol’s feet on his face, with the hybrid curled up on his stomach, facing the pup’s butt or in the worst case scenario: him on the floor and Chanyeol sprawled out on the bed like a starfish.

Baekhyun gets in bed after finishing his own nightly routine and Chanyeol immediately clings to him, nuzzling his nose on the crook of his owner’s neck and whimpering pitifully. Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow, amused at the puppy’s behavior and lifts a hand to scratch behind the hybrid’s ears.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, merely for the fact that he knows that all Chanyeol wants is attention.

“I just don’t like it when I’m all alone in here.” Chanyeol answers, voice muffled by Baekhyun’s neck.

“You’re not alone, I’m here.”

“No, I mean… when you’re gone for work. I don’t like to be alone.”

Baekhyun sighs. “I know, baby.” He says, feeling truly bad for having to leave his puppy alone all day. “But I have to work so I can take proper care of you.”

“I know but I─ I just… don’t like it.”

“Tell you what, if you promise to behave, I’ll take you to work with me and you can play with Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun says, smiling down at his worried puppy.

“Kyungsoo’s a mean cat.” Chanyeol pouts. “He likes to pull my ears and step on my tail.”

Baekhyun can’t help but laugh, apologizing later to the very offended hybrid.

“Xiumin is also there─”

Chanyeol’s ears perk up at the mention of the bunny hybrid. “I like Xiumin! I can chase him!”

“No, no.” Baekhyun shakes his head. “Poor Luhan almost had a heart attack last time he saw you with his bunny’s head in your mouth. So no chasing, promise me, Yeol?”

Chanyeol puffs his cheeks. “Fine.”

“Good, now get some sleep.” Baekhyun says, kissing the boy’s temple and moving their bodies together so they can lie on a more comfortable position.

In less than a minute he’s feeling Chanyeol’s warm breathing against his neck. He envies the hybrid’s ability to fall asleep so fast and easy. Baekhyun stays awake for a while longer, listening to the soft snores of his puppy.

He still remembers the first time he saw Chanyeol at the shelter. He had been kind enough to accompany his friend Jongin to get a hybrid of his own. The younger boy had been annoying him about a really beautiful gray colored Scottish Fold hybrid, with small mottles of black on the ears and tail he had seen at the shelter downtown. Jongin had squealed like a teenage girl because _oh my god Baekhyun, look at those cute tiny ears!_ And Baekhyun, as the good friend he is, had made time on his schedule to go with him and while Jongin was still squealing under the worried look of the caretaker, he had made his way to look around. Nothing seemed to really catch his attention, until a pair of large, bicolor eyes ─one blue and the other of a hazel tone─ looked right into his own. He had remained frozen for a moment, it was the most adorable creature he had ever seen, pale skin and auburn hair with a mop of white that went from the back of his scalp to his bangs. Baekhyun had gotten closer, waving his hand at the puppy that had shyly smiled at him.

 _“His name is Chanyeol.”_ The caretaker had told him once she had noticed his interest. Jongin was finally happy with his cat hybrid clinging onto him. _“He’s a red Siberian Husky hybrid. It’s a shame that he’ll be gone soon.”_

 _“Why?”_ Baekhyun had frowned.

 _“He’s been here for a year already; no one seems to want him.”_ The woman shrugged.

 _“Why?”_ Baekhyun repeated, unable to understand why was it that no one could want such a cute being.

_“Huskies are a handful. They’re really hard to deal with.”_

Baekhyun hummed, but said nothing else as he followed Jongin out of the shelter.

The next day he was walking out of the same shelter with an overexcited Husky puppy pulling at his sleeve because finally someone wanted to give him a home.

Now, four years later, he still doesn’t have any regrets. Sure, Chanyeol is hyper, mischievous, loud and careless, but it makes Baekhyun the happiest person alive and it’s his job to make sure that the hybrid doesn’t hurt himself every time they go out for a walk and Chanyeol refuses to wear his leash; Baekhyun hates it too, but he prefers that better than losing his puppy.

Chanyeol has given him his fair share of scares. Like that time when Baekhyun agreed to let him go out to the neighborhood’s park on his own and without his collar, giving him the valid excuse that was extremely uncomfortable and itchy, so Baekhyun had no other choice but to let the boy be. Chanyeol had ran far from where he was sitting under a tree, reading a book, so far that it took Baekhyun hours to find him, it was getting dark and the man was losing his mind. It had been the worst six hours of his life and since then, Chanyeol goes around with a necklace and a plaque that has his name on it, Baekhyun’s, their address, phone number and a small bell that jingles every time the hybrid moves.

Baekhyun is finally closing his eyes when he feels Chanyeol shift closer, throwing an arm and a leg over his body, nuzzling his nose on his shoulder. Baekhyun sighs and lets himself be lulled to sleep by his puppy’s soft breathing and citrusy smell.

….

Chanyeol has been unbearable in the past three weeks. He has, yet again, destroyed Baekhyun’s new couch, blaming it all on his aching gums… _again_. Baekhyun had shaken his head and made Chanyeol sleep in his own room for three days. He was also louder than usual and clingier, sticking to Baekhyun every time the man had to leave the house for work, whining and begging to not leave him alone. At first, Baekhyun would almost cry because of the puppy eyes and because Husky hybrids like Chanyeol hated to be left alone, so he would stay for a bit longer to try and calm the boy down; but now, Baekhyun just ignores him and goes out of the house before the hybrid can cling to his legs like a koala, stopping him from going anywhere.

Baekhyun doesn’t know what else to do. He’s growing tired of coming back home after a long day at work to find a mess in his living room, opened cartons of juice all over the place and more often than not, spilled on the floor, crashed eggs and last night’s leftovers left out on the kitchen island. Baekhyun had also found his shoes and some of his shirts ripped apart, dripping drool and really, he doesn’t even want to ask. Pillows ripped in half, feathers all over the house, walls with scratch marks and just the other day, he walked into the bathroom only to find it flooded and smelling strongly like lemon and oranges; Chanyeol kept acting like he had done nothing wrong. Baekhyun is worried about him, mostly because he’s afraid of coming home to a physically hurt Chanyeol. Things are getting out of control and the dying squirrel he had found last Monday under the coffee table, had been the last straw. Baekhyun was even scared of asking how it got there.

“Can you smell it?” Baekhyun asks. Jongin raises a questioning eyebrow. “Chanyeol’s pheromones are all over the place.” He whispers. Jongin’s lips forming an ‘o’ in understatement. “I mean, how do you deal with Kyungsoo?”

“Kyungsoo is a cat, Baek. He’s lazy, either eating or sleeping. He only goes snarky and feisty on me when he really wants something, but his tantrums don’t last for long.” Jongin shrugs.

“I just don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’m worried and tired.”

“A few months ago Kyungsoo went through a similar phase. I was also worried because he would go around the apartment mopping and hissing at me. He destroyed my clothes and a few other things. I took him to the doctor and they told me it was completely normal, although he tried to scratch her face…” Jongin says with a pensive tone. “How old is Chanyeol again?”

“Sixteen.” Baekhyun sighs.

“Right, so… his pheromones are all over the place because he’s growing, that’s all. You don’t have to worry too much. And I can’t smell it because I’m not familiar with his scent like you are.”

“But I don’t know how to handle him. He’s… I don’t know, Jongin, I’m sick of coming home to find a mess every day.”

“Well, have you considered to… take him back to the shelter?”

Baekhyun jerks his head towards his friend and frowns. Honestly, yes, he had thought about it a couple of times, but having Chanyeol by his side it’s part of his life now. He can’t even imagine a day without the hybrid around, especially knowing it was himself who gave him away. Baekhyun can’t stand the idea of not knowing who’s with him, if he’s eating well, if he’s happy or if his new owner loves him as much as he does. Baekhyun shakes his head, pushing all those thoughts away; there’s no way he’ll ever give Chanyeol away. Ever.

But before Baekhyun can even answer to Jongin, Chanyeol, who has been eavesdropping from behind the hallway wall stalks off with droopy ears and teary eyes. Chanyeol sniffles as he gets into bed and covers his whole body with the thick blanket. It’s really cold and now that he knows that his owner doesn’t want him anymore, only makes it colder.

Does Baekhyun really wants to give him away? Chanyeol knows he hasn’t been a good puppy lately, but he really can’t help it, no matter how hard he tries, it’s just in his nature and he can’t fight his instincts; but now, because of that, Baekhyun has stopped loving him.

Chanyeol curls up on his side of the bed and cries himself to sleep, making himself a promise that from now on, he’s going to be a good boy. Or at least he’s going to try.

…

Baekhyun comes back from work in a really good mood. He slowly opens the door, already dreading the moment he’ll find the usual mess, but instead, a clean house welcomes him, just like he left it the day before after Chanyeol’s outburst with the strawberry juice. Only Chanyeol’s rubber ball is rolling around; the silence it’s somehow uncomfortable and Baekhyun instantly knows that something is off. He calls for Chanyeol, but there’s no answer, which is weird, by now, he would have the hybrid all over him, nuzzling his neck and licking his cheek. Baekhyun frowns and calls him again, he only gets the echo through the house as an answer; he checks the cleaning supply’s closet downstairs hoping to not find Chanyeol there all bathed in liquid detergent, but it’s empty and clean, so is the bathroom. He runs upstairs and head to the bedroom, but again, there’s no sign of his puppy anywhere, only a few pieces of clothes on the floor that Chanyeol probably left there after changing this morning; the bed is unmade, but he can’t really blame Chanyeol, he hasn’t teach him how to make a bed yet. Something just doesn’t feel right.

Something inside his stomach churns when he finds Chanyeol’s necklace on the kitchen island. He never takes it off and Baekhyun only removes the bell sometimes when they’re inside the house and there’s no real need for him to wear it. Baekhyun doesn’t want to lose his cool, probably Chanyeol just dozed off somewhere, he’s a heavy sleeper after all; but what if he jumped the fence again to chase another squirrel out of the house’s limits, he doesn’t have his necklace on; if he gets lost it’s going to be very hard to find him. Chanyeol doesn’t know his phone number nor his address and he gets easily distracted. What if someone steals him? Chanyeol attracts a lot of eyes whenever they go outside… or worse, what if someone hurts him?

Baekhyun begins to panic, he takes his phone out of his pocket with shaky hands to dial Jongin’s number and ask him for his help, but just as he’s about to press the _call_ button, he hears a loud growl coming from the backyard. He rushes to the kitchen and pushes the curtain of the window to the side, he finds Chanyeol laying on the grass and flailing his arms everywhere to get rid of the birds that are trying to poke him. Baekhyun lets out a long, shaky breath of relief; he goes back to the living room, takes the rubber ball and walks outside.

Chanyeol’s ears unconsciously twitch at the sound of footsteps on the ground and the smell of his owner, he really wants to jump to his feet and hug him, but he doesn’t, because he’s afraid that if he moves, Baekhyun is going to notice him and ask him to get in the car so he can take him back to the shelter.

“Yeol?” Baekhyun calls him again. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you.” He says as he kneels beside him. “Wanna play?” Baekhyun shows him the ball and even though Chanyeol’s instincts tell him to say yes, he shakes his head. Baekhyun frowns, his puppy never refuses to play with him. “Um… okay, are you hungry?” He tries again, this time catching Chanyeol’s full attention. The hybrid opens one eye to peek at his owner for a second before nodding. “Alright, go wash your hands while I make something.” Baekhyun ruffles his hair and stands up. Chanyeol watches him disappear into the house.

Chanyeol sobs, feeling a single tear roll down his cheek. He quickly wipes it with his hand. He doesn’t want Baekhyun to see him like this because he doesn’t want his owner to feel guilty about giving him away and keep him just out of pity. Chanyeol doesn’t like people feeling bad for him, especially not Baekhyun. So he gets on his feet and goes to do what Baekhyun has told him.

The puppy’s mouth is now drooling at the smell of stir-fry beef and rice coming out of the kitchen. He’s dying to give Baekhyun’s cheek a lick just to show him how thankful he is for everything the human does for him and how much he loves him, and also, as a promise that he’ll be good, but he forces himself to not do it. He doesn’t want to know how Baekhyun would react.

Chanyeol sits down at his usual spot on the table, waiting patiently for Baekhyun to serve him his portion of food, his tail curled up around his leg and his ears down in submission. He starts chewing his food slowly as soon as the plate is in front of him, trying not to make a mess and panicking every time a single grain of rice would fall on the table. Baekhyun watches his hybrid with a confused look, he’s never seen him eat this slowly and much less this carefully.

“Chanyeollie, are you sure you’re okay?” Baekhyun asks and Chanyeol flinches at the pet name. He’s probably just being nice to drop the bad news later.

“Yes.” Chanyeol mumbles, nodding his head. “I’m not hungry anymore, hyung. Can I go now?”

Baekhyun wants to say no and force Chanyeol to tell him what is going on, but ultimately decides against it. He nods, Chanyeol is probably just tired from playing outside all day… right?

Even so, Baekhyun can’t shake the feeling off that something is completely and utterly wrong.

Baekhyun is feeling edgy and weird. He had to leave Chanyeol alone again on a Saturday to attend an impromptu meeting at work when he isn’t supposed to work on the weekends. Saturdays are exclusive to spend outside, going around the city, eating ice cream or in the park, Baekhyun reading a book while Chanyeol runs around, chasing smaller animals or to simply treat the hybrid with whatever he wants that he’s not allowed to eat during week days. Baekhyun is well aware that giving his already hyperactive puppy excessive amounts of sugar could turn out into a huge disaster, but then again, Chanyeol is only a puppy and Baekhyun loves to see those cute ears perking up and the smile on his face every time he hears the ice cream truck getting closer. But lately, on the last couple of days, Chanyeol has been nothing of the cheerful being he normally is; he spends his days laying on the grass, letting the birds stand on him and poke his arms when in normal circumstances, he would growl and jump around, trying to catch them.

It’s getting on Baekhyun’s nerves the fact that Chanyeol seems to have changed from one day to another, he doesn’t even look happy anymore and it’s killing him. Did he do something wrong? Is Chanyeol sick? It’s really hard to focus on work and everything else around when you have a pup acting all strange on you.

It’s on a Friday when Baekhyun decides to make Chanyeol talk. He misses his baby and he’s probably going to regret even thinking this… but he also misses the disasters.

Baekhyun takes his jacket off and leaves his bag on the couch, quickly making his way upstairs where Chanyeol is probably already in bed. A problem at work had made him stay longer and he didn’t have the chance to call the hybrid.

As expected, Chanyeol is already in bed, covered from head to toes and he’s… sobbing. Baekhyun feels his heart drop to his stomach, he blinks a few times trying to compose himself before walking towards the bed.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun mumbles, placing a hand softly over what he thinks it’s the hybrid’s arm. Chanyeol sobs harder. “Yeol, come on, talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” He pleads.

“N-nothing.” Chanyeol’s nasal voice answers him, but this time Baekhyun is having none of that.

He pulls the covers off of Chanyeol’s body; the hybrid turns to look at him with his eyes wide in surprise. Baekhyun freezes for a moment at the sight of Chanyeol’s red and swollen face; his heart squeezes painfully, it’s the first time ever he’s seen Chanyeol crying.

“Baby.” Baekhyun mumbles, voice strained with worry. He sits on the bed and takes Chanyeol by the arm, pulling him onto his lap; the puppy lets him, because he really needs to feel his owner closer, even if it’s just one last time. Baekhyun carefully removes the locks of hair falling over his forehead. “Baby, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“I can’t tell you.” Chanyeol answers, sniffing his nose loudly.

“Why not?” Baekhyun frowns.

“Because I don’t want you to stop loving me.”

Baekhyun stops his fingers and looks down at the distressed boy. He’s chewing on his lip and fidgeting with his hands. “What makes you think that?”

“I─ I heard you talking with Jongin hyung the other day. He said something about taking me back to the shelter… I don’t want to go back there! I promise I’ll be a good boy! Or─ or I’ll leave if you don’t want me anymore, but please… please don’t take me back there!” Chanyeol begs, rushing his words, tears already soaking his cheeks

“Yeol…” Baekhyun sighs “you misunderstood. I love you so much, why would I stop? He asks, Chanyeol looks down. “And there’s no way I’m letting anyone take you away from me.” Baekhyun assures him, tightening his hold around the hybrid.

“Really really?”

“Really really.” Baekhyun smiles.

“But what Jongin hyung said─”

“He did mention it.” Baekhyun nods. “But of course I said no.”

“O-okay.” Chanyeol mumbles, using the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe his tears and snot.

“Now, can you please… please go back to be yourself? I hate seeing you like this. I miss my happy Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says, bopping at Chanyeol’s nose and making him giggle.

“But─ but when I’m myself I destroy things and you don’t like it when I destroy things.”

“You can do anything you want as long as you stay away from all the furniture… and pillows… and my clothes and shoes. In return, I’ll let you have ice cream every day for a month. Do we have a deal?” Chanyeol smiles, nodding eagerly at the proposal. “Good. Go to sleep now, we’re going out tomorrow.”

“Can I have a kiss then?” Chanyeol pouts. Baekhyun leans forward to leave a small peck on the puppy’s lips before letting him go.

Chanyeol covers his body with the blankets again and squirms to find a comfortable position. He’s a happy pup again. Baekhyun still loves him.

On the other hand, Baekhyun has the terrible feeling that he’ll regret his life decisions _again_ … but a happy Chanyeol is certainly more than worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

A smile appears on Baekhyun's face when he hears the front door open. He puts down the stack of papers he's been revising for the past couple of hours and removes his glasses, leaving them aside as well. He waits patiently for the hurricane to come, as he listens to the rustling of shoes and jacket being removed, and bag tossed aside coming from the foyer. It's always the same and Baekhyun would be lying if he ever dares to say that he doesn't miss Chanyeol whenever the hybrid is out for whatever reason.

"Hi, hyung!" Chanyeol exclaims, storming into the living room. He runs to Baekhyun, leaves a small peck on his cheek and then proceeds to the kitchen, pulling out of the fridge a bottle of water and swallowing the entire content all in matter of seconds.

"Hey, Yeol." Baekhyun greets with a lower voice, still smiling. "How was school?"

"Great! I was assigned a new partner for our final project since the past one had to leave to hibernate since you know, she's a bear but it's cool! My new partner it's a cute white fox, you should see him hyung, he's this tiny" Chanyeol makes a sign with his thumb and index finger as to show him the size of his new friend, although Baekhyun is pretty sure he's exaggerating "and has this very high pitched voice that sometimes irritates me, but it's fine, I like him!" By the time he finally finishes speaking, Baekhyun is panting, out of breath, while Chanyeol seems unfazed and perfectly fine.

Chanyeol is 20 years old now, he has grown into a very handsome young man, taller than what Baekhyun ever expected, with a ─according to Baekhyun himself─ killer eyes that could melt anyone's heart and an adorable dimple that appears every time he smiles. Even though Chanyeol is now far from being the small boy he used to be, in Baekhyun's eyes he's still his little puppy. Chanyeol it's still the same hyperactive hybrid, he still speaks nonstop without breathing and sometimes he still comes to Baekhyun's room at night and cuddles next to him; the only difference is that now, Chanyeol doesn't destroy Baekhyun's furniture anymore. He still fights with the neighbor’s old cat and hates being poked by birds.

Sending him to school had been one of the most difficult decisions Baekhyun has ever have to make, seeing how school for hybrids was different from regular schools. He wasn't sure if Chanyeol would be able to fit in with all those different species of hybrids due to his inability to stay put in the same place for more than five minutes, he could already foresee the tons of calls he was going to get from teachers and principals, but after a lot of convincing from Jongin and Luhan, he had agreed, coming to terms with the fact that he needed to let Chanyeol go ─or at least give him some freedom─ and of course, with the fact that his puppy _needed_ an education different from the one he could give him at home. Surprisingly, Chanyeol had adapted pretty fast and well, making almost all of the people in his classroom his friends since day one. To say Baekhyun is proud of him it's an understatement, but he never forgets to remind Chanyeol of that.

"So," Baekhyun starts "I'm starting on dinner, anything special you want to eat today?" He asks as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, uh... I promised Kyungsoo I would go with him and some other friends to the movies, then to grab something to eat. It's─ is it okay?" Chanyeol asks, looking a little uneasy.

"Oh… yes! Yes, of course." Baekhyun smiles.

"Are you sure? Because I can call Kyungsoo and─"

"No, it's totally fine, Yeol, go have fun."

Chanyeol nods and returns the smile. "I'll go change then."

"Yeah." Baekhyun mumbles, watching as Chanyeol runs up the stairs.

Baekhyun sighs and goes back to the kitchen, forgetting any plan of making an elaborated dinner and opting for a quick sandwich.

Well, it's not really the first time Chanyeol has ditch him on dinner or lunch or even breakfast. It didn't take long for Baekhyun to realize that Chanyeol didn't really need him anymore like he did when he was a puppy; he goes to school during the week and works in a coffee shop on the weekends, and since he started making his own money, he rarely asks Baekhyun for anything. Baekhyun completely understands, it's just how life is. Things change and people change too. Chanyeol has changed in all the right ways. He went from wearing those weird graphic shirts and loose pants to skinny jeans, caps and large hoodies. He dyed his hair black, getting rid of the white stripe of hair that always made him look adorable; Chanyeol doesn't look like a kid anymore, he looks like a man and Baekhyun would be damned if he ever has to admit that he indeed, feels attracted to Chanyeol.

He knows it's impossible, mainly because it's just not right. He's ten years older than Chanyeol, he basically raised him. Secondly because why would Chanyeol want to be with a someone like him? Old and boring, when he surely has a lot of people lining up for a chance to simply talk to him. Chanyeol is popular among his friends, handsome and charming, all the things Baekhyun isn't and will never be.

Besides, he's sure Chanyeol doesn't even think about him that way. Ever since he started growing up and understanding the meaning of a lot of things, he had developed a strange fascination over Kyungsoo, Jongin's cat hybrid. They went from petty fights and pulling on each other's ears to a very close friendship; he's certain that at this point, Kyungsoo knows more about Chanyeol than Baekhyun himself.

Baekhyun doesn't even dare to ask Jongin how he feels about it, he doesn't want to give any kind of explanations; plus, he's aware that his jealousy is irrational, he doesn't have the right to feel this way, much less to forbid Chanyeol from having friends, so he just lets it slip away and smiles back whenever Chanyeol smiles at him. He just wants his puppy to be happy and he'll do whatever to make it happen, even if that means having to let Chanyeol go one day.

Swallowing his bitterness, Baekhyun slumps down on the couch and turns the TV on, his sandwich remains half eaten, but all appetite is gone. He was really looking forward to spend some quality time with Chanyeol, it's been a long time since they’ve done it; Chanyeol doesn't need Baekhyun to take him out on walks anymore and although he keeps his necklace with his name and Baekhyun's because he has a soft spot for it, Chanyeol is free and perfectly capable to run the entire city without getting lost.

Sighing, Baekhyun closes his eyes and soon falls asleep with the TV on and the thoughts of how useless he is to Chanyeol now.

…

It's freezing out there. Baekhyun huffs as he struggles to push the door open with his arms loaded of grocery bags and at the same time tries to keep the scarf over his mouth and nose, the last thing he wants is to have his cold spreading and Chanyeol getting sick because of him; his puppy is very perceptible to all kinds of viruses and a sick Chanyeol is a cranky Chanyeol.

Finally managing to get inside and stumbling into the living room, he stops at the two figures sitting on the couch, too busy playing video games to notice his presence. Baekhyun frowns, because Kyungsoo is way _too_ close to Chanyeol and the cat hybrid leans onto his side every time the game gets exciting; Chanyeol laughs and playfully pushes him away. They look too comfortable with each other, too _intimate_... and maybe Baekhyun is just letting his jealousy take the best of him and he's imagining things, but he can't help but notice ─not that anyone could ignore it─ the bright smile Chanyeol gives Kyungsoo every now and then.

Baekhyun clears his throat. "I could use a little help here." He says.

"Hyung!" Chanyeol pauses the game and jumps out of the couch, rushing to take the bags from his hands. Kyungsoo quickly follows to help as well.

"Hey, Soo." Baekhyun says as they walk to the kitchen. "I didn't know you were coming, does Jongin knows you're here?" He places the bags over the counter.

"Yes, he's picking me up later." Kyungsoo nods.

"Do you need help with this, hyung?" Chanyeol asks then.

"No, thanks." Baekhyun shakes his head and smiles. "I'll just put this away and start on dinner."

"But you're sick, you should at least let me help you." Chanyeol insists.

"I feel fine, Yeol." Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Groceries won't kill me." He points at the hybrid with a carrot.

"Fine, but if you need anything just call me, okay?"

"Thank you bab─" Baekhyun stops himself from finishing the word, not sure if Chanyeol is comfortable with being called like that in front of his friends. In front of Kyungsoo. He glances to where the cat hybrid is, standing by the kitchen entrance with his phone in his hands and fingers flying over the keyboard. Kids these days. "Thanks, Yeol." He says instead.

Chanyeol doesn't look convinced, but eventually leaves with Kyungsoo in tow.

When Baekhyun hears the noise of the game again, he releases a long breath and begins with his task.

 _"Don't be silly!"_ Baekhyun hears Kyungsoo exclaims among the noise of cars racing.

 _"I'm not! You're cheating!"_ Chanyeol replies.

 _"How can I cheat on a racing game? I'm right there!"_ Kyungsoo sounds offended.

Baekhyun continues to put the vegetables inside the fridge, trying to ignore the familiarity they talk to each other with.

It's only when he hears a loud crash that he drops everything he has on his hands and rushes to the living room, worried. He doesn't expect to find both hybrids on the floor, the coffee table toppled up and the glass bowl that used to be on the center with a few candies now shattered on the floor. Chanyeol is lying on his back and Kyungsoo is straddling him; he's frowning and grunting as he fights Chanyeol for the control.

Chanyeol is laughing and squirming from how Kyungsoo's knees dig on his hips, he's always been extremely ticklish. Deep down Baekhyun knows there's nothing wrong with the awkward position they're in, it's clearly not what his subconscious is thinking it is and yet, he can't help the anger bubbling up inside. He clenches his jaw and balls his fists on his side.

"What are you doing?" Baekhyun hisses, sounding harsher than he actually intended.

Both hybrids look at him. Kyungsoo quickly removes himself from Chanyeol and Chanyeol is fast to get on his feet, mouth opening to speak upon realizing the mess they just made. He promised himself a long time ago he wasn't going to give Baekhyun any more trouble.

"I─ we're just─" Chanyeol stammers. "We were just playing and─"

"Clearly, you can’t ever take anything seriously, can you?" Baekhyun snaps. At this point it's impossible to stop his word vomit, his brain is not cooperating with him. He's not really sure if he's angry at Chanyeol or at himself for not being able to stop these feelings.

"Hyung, I'm sorry, I─" Chanyeol's eyes are wide and watery, his cheeks are flushed and his ears flat against his head. The last thing he wants is to upset Baekhyun.

Baekhyun sighs. "Whatever, Chanyeol. Just─ clean all this." He says before turning around and returning to the kitchen where he tries to focus on what he's doing again but it turns out to be impossible.

He drops all attempts on chopping vegetables; frustrated, he dumps everything in the sink and runs upstairs to the safety of his room. Baekhyun hastily removes all his clothes to change into something more comfortable, putting in the first shirt he finds on a pile of clean clothes that's on the small armchair next to the window that he keeps promising himself he's going to fold and store on its right place and he still hasn't done, only to realize the shirt belongs to Chanyeol.

Baekhyun grunts. "How many times have I─ ugh told him─" he grumbles, struggling to take it off "to take his─ clothes with him." Eventually he stops, giving up trying when obviously the shirt won't come off, all because he's too angry to actually do things right. He doesn't wear any pants. Only thinking about pants make him angrier.

He jumps in his bed and pulls the covers over his body up to his neck, brows still furrowed but now, he doesn't feel anything but shame. He's a 30 year old man acting like a stubborn high school girl. Baekhyun closes his eyes and curls himself up, snuggling against his fluffy covers; he knows he won't be getting any sleep soon, it's not even dark outside yet but that won't stop him from trying, hoping that for when he wakes up, his mind has cleared out.

Baekhyun ends up tossing and turning in bed, kicking away the covers when they start to annoy him. Why can't he just stop thinking about Chanyeol and the fact that he left the hybrids alone in the living room? Is not that Chanyeol would do anything indecent in their home, but still. Why can't he just─

"Hyung?" Baekhyun jerks his head up at the sound of Chanyeol's deep voice coming from the door. He quickly pulls the covers back up to cover his naked legs and swallows. Chanyeol is so tall and yet, he looks so small right now, standing on the doorframe with his eyes on the floor and the sleeves of his navy blue hoodie rolled up to his elbows. He's cutely balancing himself on his feet. Baekhyun fights the urge to smile, he's supposed to be angry at him.

"Yes?" Baekhyun asks and Chanyeol looks up, eyes wide in surprise.

"I─ I'm so sorry, hyung! I didn't mean to─ I didn't want to do that, I just─"

"Chanyeol─"

"I know I promised I wasn't going to do it again and I swear it was an accident and─"

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun sighs. The hybrid immediately shuts up, pressing his lips into a thing line and looking down again. "It's okay. I overreacted. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it."

Chanyeol nods. "I... cleaned everything up. The kitchen too." He mumbles.

"Thank you." Baekhyun smiles, but Chanyeol is still not looking at him. "Where's Kyungsoo?"

"Jongin hyung came to pick him up earlier. I─"

"Yeah?" Baekhyun asks when he notices how much Chanyeol wants to speak, but he instead, continues on chewing on his lower lip insistently.

"Can I..." He glances over the bed and down again, cheeks turning red.

Baekhyun blinks, it takes him a moment to understand what the hybrid wants. "Oh... yes, of course. Come here." He moves aside to make room for Chanyeol.

Baekhyun opens his arms and Chanyeol jumps in, snuggling against his chest like a little kid even when he's a head taller than him. Chanyeol throws an arm over his stomach and pulls him closer, nuzzling his cold nose against his cheek; Baekhyun's stomach flutters and he knows he shouldn't allow Chanyeol to do this kind of things anymore. He knows he has to stop him so he can keep what is left of his sanity and yet... he doesn't, simply because Baekhyun loves the way Chanyeol smells; the hybrid has never used any kind of perfume or cologne and yet, his scent is addictive, of that candy scented laundry detergent he loves so much and softener, all mixed with Chanyeol's distinctive smell.

He loves the way Chanyeol rubs his nose against his neck and cheeks and how he whines every time Baekhyun tries to pull away from his touch. Baekhyun loves to feel the warmth of Chanyeol's tail curling around his legs when they lay in bed like this. It should feel awkward and maybe uncomfortable, but it's not. For Baekhyun, it just feels right.

"You're wearing my shirt." Chanyeol suddenly says, speaking against the skin of his neck. Baekhyun tries to hide the shiver that runs through his body by shifting a little.

"Yeah I... couldn't take it off. I will right now if you let me─"

"No." Chanyeol lifts his head to look at him. He's pouting and Baekhyun can't believe just how adorable that simple gesture is. "I like it."

" _You_ like it?" Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow. "I'm the one wearing it."

"What I mean is that I like it when you wear my clothes. You should do it more often." Chanyeol mumbles with his face buried in his neck again. He keeps rubbing his nose there, occasionally pressing his lips for a mere second and this time, Baekhyun can't hold back, he shivers and a sigh escapes his lips.

"Yeol, I─"

"I like this... Baekhyun?" Chanyeol calls and a strange feeling of warmth settles in Baekhyun's stomach because this is the first time in eight years, ever since Baekhyun brought Chanyeol from the shelter, that the hybrid has called him by his name. Baekhyun looks at him with eyes like saucers.

"Y-yeah?" He clears his throat, trying to hide his obvious nervousness.

"You don't have to be jealous of Kyungsoo." Chanyeol says.

Baekhyun's eyes widen even more, as if possible. "W-what? I'm not─"

"I can smell it." Chanyeol is now looking at him again. He’s frowning and Baekhyun would be lying if he said the hybrid doesn't look extremely handsome whenever he does it.

"I─ I'm not─ your nose must be broken.” Baekhyun flicks the hybrid’s nose as if to prove his point. “I'm not jealous." He lets out a nervous laugh. "That's ridiculous."

"My nose is perfectly fine, stop lying."

"I'm not lying." Baekhyun shakes his head.

"So... if I told you now that Kyungsoo asked me out earlier─"

"What?" It's Baekhyun's ─way─ too fast response.

Chanyeol smirks. "There it is."

"You can't do that!" Baekhyun exclaims and tries to push Chanyeol away, but the hybrid's hold around his waist tightens. "Chanyeol!" He squirms.

"I won't let you go, hyung."

Baekhyun gives up with a sigh, letting the hybrid do whatever he wants, so Chanyeol goes back to nuzzling his cheeks.

"D-did Kyungsoo really─" Baekhyun starts minutes later.

Chanyeol snickers. "No. Kyungsoo is not interested in me on that way."

"A-and you?"

Chanyeol shakes his head. "Kyungsoo is just like... an annoying brother."

"Oh..." Baekhyun mumbles. "But why... why are you telling me all this?" He asks and although he's nervous about the answer he also waits, anxious to know what really goes through Chanyeol's mind.

"Because I don't want you to get the wrong ideas." Chanyeol sighs and pulls away a little, only to rest his head on Baekhyun's shoulder.

"What... kind of wrong ideas?"

"There's no one else for me but you, hyung. I would never want anyone else in my life."

"Yeol." Baekhyun whines. "You can't just say those things."

"Why not? You know I've never lied to you before, I'm not going to start now."

"Because we can't─"

" _I_ can."

"How would you even know that I─"

"I'm observant, hyung. I like to watch people... especially you."

"You're an idiot." Baekhyun frowns and pushes him away.

Chanyeol laughs. "Baekhyun─"

"Don't call me that, you have no idea of what it does to me."

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol repeats.

"Stop."

"Baekhyun Baekhyun Baekhyun" Chanyeol starts chanting, pinning Baekhyun against the bed and trapping him against the mattress and his body.

Baekhyun laughs. "Chanyeol... what if... what if it doesn't work? What if we end up hating each other's guts and─"

"Baek, we've lived together for years now. We know everything about each other, every little secret, every bad habit, everything. Besides... I won't let that happen. I want to be the one taking care of you now."

"I'm older than you, Yeol."

"It doesn't matter." Chanyeol shakes his head. "I want to make you feel loved and protected at all times."

Baekhyun sighs, lifting his hand up to place it over the hybrid's cheek. Chanyeol leans into the touch. "When did you grow up this much?" He mumbles.

"Please hyung, let me prove to you that I am completely serious about this."

"You're impossible." Baekhyun mumbles as he rubs his thumb over Chanyeol's cheekbone.

"You know how stubborn I can be." Chanyeol grins.

Baekhyun scoffs and looks away for a second, then his eyes focus on Chanyeol again. His heart begins to race inside his chest, because all he can see on those bicolor eyes is raw sincerity. They're so bright and full of life, Baekhyun feels like drowning in them.

"Yes." He nods. "Okay, let's try."

Chanyeol's face lights up like a night sky full of stars. His smile widens, ears twitching excitedly and tail wagging furiously in the air.

"Are you serious?" Baekhyun smiles and nods.

Chanyeol almost squeals. He slumps down on Baekhyun, knocking all the air out of him and gives his cheek and long lick; Baekhyun gasps in surprise, but whatever he was about to say is interrupted by a pair of soft lips pressing against his own in a chaste kiss. Sure, they have kissed before, but it had been on a platonic way, this… this feels completely different.

When Chanyeol pulls away, he doesn't look at him and instead, buries his face in the crook of his neck again. Baekhyun brings his arms up and wraps them around the hybrid's neck to pull him closer, still not sure if this is just a dream or he actually has Chanyeol in his arms as his… _boyfriend_.

It makes Baekhyun wonder since when the hybrid has felt this way and if he was pretty good at hiding it or Baekhyun was just being too dense.

He kisses Chanyeol's hair and sighs. Baekhyun doesn’t know if this is a good idea and he thinks it’s all happening too fast, but he would be a fool to not take this chance, even when he knows how risky it could be.

…

"So... you two are dating now?" Jongin asks tentatively, index finger rubbing around the outline of his cup of coffee and eyes glancing up at his friend. Baekhyun frowns, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you asking it like that?" Baekhyun looks away, eyes now focusing on the two hybrid males playing catch a few feet from where they're sitting.

"Oh, you know," Jongin shrugs "I thought you would never come around. You were too obvious, Baek."

Baekhyun stays quiet for a moment, then sighs. "Really?"

Jongin hums. "When Chanyeol first told me I suspected that you─"

"Wait, Chanyeol _told you_?" Baekhyun gapes, unbelieving.

"Yeah. The poor thing was a mess for a while, not knowing what do about it because he could be wrong as well and he didn't want to make a fool out himself."

"What... did he tell you, exactly?"

"Not much." Jongin shrugs. "Just how much he wanted to confess and how you might not accept his feelings since, you know, it could be wrong for you to be together."

Baekhyun bites his lower lip. He looks around to find Chanyeol on a weird position, leg folded up and arm stretched back about to pitch the ball. He chuckles, finding the frown of concentration on his boyfriend's face extremely endearing. Boyfriend. Chanyeol is now his boyfriend. Baekhyun can't help the feeling of warmth and giddiness that grows inside him every time he thinks about it.

"I thought so too, I mean, people could be really hurtful sometimes..."

Jongin shakes his head. "Times have changed, Baek. If you look around you, you'll be surprised to find out that a lot of couples are formed by a human and a hybrid."

"Yeah, I know. But sometimes it still feels weird when Chanyeol is overly affectionate in public, I can _feel_ people staring."

"Don't do that." Jongin says, with a sudden reprimanding tone. Baekhyun looks at him, confused. "Chanyeol came to you as a man, Baekhyun. If you weren't ready to accept him for what he is, you shouldn't have accepted him in the first place. Better to hurt his feelings once instead of every time he tries to approach you."

"I─"

"He loves you."

Baekhyun sighs in defeat. "I love him too."

"Then don't be an ass to him. Who would want to hurt such an adorable boy?"

"Hey!" Baekhyun exclaims, crumping an used napkin into a ball and throwing it at his face.

No one says anything after that. They both sit at a stone bench in the park near Baekhyun's neighborhood, enjoying the cool breeze of an early December afternoon and the noise of all the people there, kids running around, group of friends laughing and yelling, and the sound of nature. Baekhyun can't help the smiles that spread on his face every time Chanyeol's laughter reaches his ears, it's loud and booming as it always is, but for Baekhyun, is the most wonderful sound he's ever heard.

It surprises him how much of an effect Chanyeol's mood has on him. If the hybrid is happy, Baekhyun is happy too; if he's feeling moody, Baekhyun feels as if having a gray cloud raining over his head; if Chanyeol is sad, Baekhyun can feel his heart squeezing inside his chest almost painfully and he doesn't like that, especially because his boyfriend was _not_ born to be sad or unhappy, so Baekhyun always does his best to keep that bright smile on his face. No matter what he has to do to achieve it.

"So tell me, how is it?"

"How is it what?" Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow.                      

"Your relationship with Chanyeol, duh."

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and then shrugs. "Nothing much has changed; he's still clingy and acts like a spoiled kid when he wants something. We... kiss─"

"Eat each other's faces."

" _Kiss_." Baekhyun repeats, scowling. Jongin shrugs him off. "Sometimes he acts all manly and calls me by my name, it's... really cute actually and hot too, but... yeah." He smiles without noticing. "That and he gets very touchy more often than not."

"Have you done it yet?"

Baekhyun opens his mouth to answer, then closes it again and twitches his lips. "No." He looks away. "I want to take things slow. I don't want to force him into anything; he's never mentioned anything about it so maybe he's still not comfortable with it. I'm just gonna... let things happen on their own."

"Maybe he's too shy to voice it out. You should talk to him. From what I've been told, you're missing out a lot." Jongin says, wriggling his eyebrows.

"What do you mean... exactly?" Baekhyun stiffens.

"Well, Kyungsoo told me once he’s really big _down there_... if you know what I mean─"

"What? Kyungsoo?" Baekhyun suddenly feels his cheeks heating up in anger. He balls his fists and unconsciously turning his head to where the two hybrids are still playing, almost breaking his neck in the process.

"Woah, calm down. It was a while ago." Jongin scoffs. "I didn't take you for the jealous type."

"When?"

"Baek─"                                                                          

" _When?_ "

Jongin sighs. "Remember when you went out of town for work and he stayed with us?" Baekhyun nods. "Well, I'm sure Chanyeol told you I took them to play _Gotcha_?"

"Yes. He got pretty bad bruises because of that, thank you very much." Baekhyun grumbles, folding his arms against his chest, annoyed.

"Anyway, they were arguing about whom would shower first so I just told them to do it together." Jongin shrugs. "They were kids, Baek, and Kyungsoo was curious ─you know, he's a cat─ he even asked me why I wasn't as big as Chanyeol, can you imagine my embarrassment? I wanted to die right there." He says, pouting pathetically.

"Nothing happened... right?"

"Of course not! They were still sixteen!" Jongin exclaimed, scandalized, eyes wide in shock. "What kind of person do you think I am?" He gruffs and leans against the backrest.

"I'm sorry, you're right." Baekhyun huffs. "I just can't help it. Chanyeol is just─"

"Hyung!" Just in time, Chanyeol comes running in their direction. He's smiling so widely and his eyes are shining with excitement. Baekhyun braces himself for the worse because he's pretty sure Chanyeol is going to tackle him to the floor, but then the hybrid is coming to an abrupt stop; he's panting and there's a thin layer of sweat shining on his forehead. "Hyung!" He exclaims again.

"What is it?" Baekhyun asked, a little worried.

"Can we─" he swallows hard "can we get some ice cream?" Chanyeol points at the small ice cream truck parking on the other side of the street.

Baekhyun sighs in relief. "Yes, but just one and no─"

"No chocolate, I know." Chanyeol nods eagerly. Baekhyun has never allowed him to eat chocolate, mostly because Chanyeol is already overly hyper as it is; he doesn't need him having a sugar rush right before going to bed.

What Baekhyun isn't expecting, is for Chanyeol to grab him by the wrist and pull him in for a quick kiss before running off again with Kyungsoo in tow, leaving him gaping and with his cheeks red and burning. Surprisingly, he doesn’t feel nervous about the fact that people might have watched their exchange, instead, he feels warm and happy. Baekhyun finds himself wanting to do it all over again.

…

Chanyeol stiffens. He raises his head from where he had his face buried in one of his school books. He's been working on an essay for the past couple of hours and his neck and back are starting to feel sore; but those are not really the thoughts that cross his mind when a new cool breeze wafts through his room. There's a sudden change on the atmosphere, something heavy on the air that makes Chanyeol's nose scrunch up in disgust. Hormones. _Female human_ hormones.

Maybe the smell comes from outside, so Chanyeol gets on his feet and turns around to close his windows so he can block the scent away and concentrate on his paper; he blinks when he notices that no, the smell does not comes from outside. His windows are closed and the curtains are down, so there's only one option─ gasping, Chanyeol takes the first hoodie he can reach and throws it over his head, he pulls the door of his room open and dashes out, almost slipping and crashing against the opposite wall. The closer he gets to the stairs, the strongest the smell grows.

"Hyung!" He exclaims as soon as he jumps on the last step. "Baekhyun!" He calls again, but his attempts are swallowed by the loud laughters coming from the kitchen. Chanyeol frowns, he wasn't wrong. There's a high pitched female laughter mixed with Baekhyun's deeper one and it's making his sensitive ears hurt.

He carefully and slowly makes his way towards the kitchen, peeking his head over the door frame before casually walking in and heading to the fridge where he pulls out a bottle of water, swallowing down the whole content in one go mostly because the smell of the girl sitting on one of the stools of their kitchen is burning his throat and stirring his stomach on the most unpleasant ways.

"Yeol, you okay?" Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol turns to see him with his eyes wide and a few drops of water dripping from his lips. "Uh... yeah, why?"

"You just walked in without saying anything and─"

"Sorry, I was thirsty." He twists an awkward smile.

"I can see that." Baekhyun giggles and Chanyeol has to make a huge effort to not jump him right there and take him away from that girl.

"Uh..." Chanyeol mumbles, eyeing the girl. She's still smiling.

"Oh, right, sorry. Yeol, this is Irene, we work together." Baekhyun introduces her.

"Hello." Chanyeol mutters shyly. Intimidated.

"Chanyeol!" She exclaims, jumping down of the stool and opening her arms to envelope him into a tight hug. She's small compared to Chanyeol's height, but her arms are strong around him. Chanyeol whines silently at the intensity of the smell torturing his nose. "Baekhyun has told me a lot about you!" Irene says when she pulls away, keeping her hands on his arms and smiling so brightly that makes Chanyeol wanna smash his head against a wall. He doesn't like her. He knows her current scent can mean just one thing... she's trying to _mate_ and Chanyeol would have to be stupid to not realize that Baekhyun ─ _his_ Baekhyun─ it's her target. "He said you were cute but he didn't make you any justice! You're the cutest _puppy_ I've ever seen!"

Chanyeol's nostrils flare in anger. He's not cute and he's not a puppy anymore. Did Baekhyun even─

"Okay, uh," Baekhyun speaks before he can say anything "why don't you go back upstairs." He says, taking Chanyeol by surprise. "I'll call you when dinner's ready." He smiles.

"Why can't I stay here?" Chanyeol frowns.

"Well, I don't─ I don't think you would be interested on what we're talking about." Baekhyun answers, starting to sound a little nervous. Chanyeol doesn't like this one bit.

"I could just stay. I can be quiet." Chanyeol insists.

"Really, Yeol... besides, you said you had homework, right? You have to finish it before dinner."

"I'm almost done."

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Why don't you want me to stay?" He asks, shaking the girl's hands off of himself.

"Is not that I don't want you to stay. I'm just telling you that─"

"Baek." Irene says, stepping closer to Baekhyun and placing her hand over his shoulder. Chanyeol, unable to control his instincts, he growls and snarls at her. She can't touch what's his. Irene jumps back, scared.

Shocked, Baekhyun acts without thinking. "Bad dog!" He exclaims, flicking Chanyeol on the nose.

The hybrid freezes, eyes wide and mouth agape as he stares at Baekhyun in disbelief. Did Baekhyun really just─ Baekhyun had never, not even when he was a messy pup, done that. Baekhyun had never treated him like an actual dog. He isn't supposed to be Baekhyun's _pet_ anymore... he’s supposed to be his boyfriend, why─

With his ears and cheeks red in humiliation, Chanyeol steps back slowly. Hurt flashing in his eyes as he turns away and dashes out of the house into the cold night, completely forgetting that he's wearing only a pair of shorts, his hoodie and no shoes. He ignores Baekhyun's desperate calls of his name and runs down the street, with no real destination. He feels too ashamed to look back.

…

It's been four hours since Chanyeol left the house and Baekhyun still knows nothing about him. The worry and guilt is eating him inside. He shouldn't have done that, he shouldn't even have invited Irene to their home when he knew the girl wanted more than just a friendship with him and that it was more likely that Chanyeol would find out on his own; but he never meant it like that, he had thought that having a friend over wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"He's still not picking up his phone." Kyungsoo walks in the living room, he's been restless since the moment Baekhyun called them to ask for their help. He also sounds anxious.

"He probably doesn't have it with him. He even left without shoes." Baekhyun mumbles, looking down at the warm mug of tea in his hands.

"What? Why would he─"

"Irene was there. He wanted to stay but I told him he couldn't─ I─ Irene touched me and he just─ he growled and snarled at her─ I called him a─ a _bad dog_." Baekhyun explains, looking down in shame.

"Why would you do that?" Kyungsoo hisses. "God, you're so stupid─"

"Kyungsoo!" Jongin reprimands him. He sits next to his friend and places a hand over his shoulder. "He's fine, he knows his way around. Maybe we should go look for him on your neighborhood─"

"Already did, four times. He's nowhere near the area. I asked our neighbors and convenience stores. No one has seen him." Baekhyun sniffles.

"I can't believe you did that." Kyungsoo mumbles. He's frowning, lips pursed and jaw clenched in anger.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I just─"

"Is not me the one you should be apologizing to. You know you hurt him." The cat hybrid says, folding his arms against his chest.

Baekhyun feels the knot in his throat tightening, he knows that pretty well.

"We should call the police then." Jongin offers.

"I did it as well. They told me they can process Chanyeol as a missing person only after 48 hours."

Kyungsoo scoffs, catching the attention of both men. He stands up and heads to the door, grabbing his jacket and putting it on along with his shoes.

"Hey, hey." Jongin approaches him, grabbing him by the arm. "What are you doing?"

"You humans are all useless." He spits. "I'm going to look for him myself."

"You can't do that─"

"I'll find him."

"Kyungsoo─" But the cat hybrid is already out the door.

Kyungsoo doesn't find him either. Chanyeol's scent is nowhere to be found and that only manages to scare him even more, it's not a good sign. If something happened to his friend, he would never be able to look at Baekhyun the same. It's worrying, earth seems to have swallowed Chanyeol.

"I can't keep sitting here doing nothing, Jongin. I have to find him." Baekhyun has been pacing around the living room for a while now. Outside, the sun is already setting.

"You heard Kyungsoo, he couldn't trace him. Baek, maybe he just─"

"No, shut up." Baekhyun snaps. He opens his mouth to speak again, but the loud ringing of his phone interrupts him. Baekhyun looks at the screen and sighs in annoyance at the unknown number; he doesn't have the time for promotional calls, so he taps on the red button and shoves his phone inside his pocket again. "I'm gonna go to the police again, they should be able to help me by now─" His phone rings again, the same number flashing on the screen. He swipes the green button this time, ready to unleash all his anger on the innocent person on the other side. "What?" He spits.

 _"Excuse me."_ The voice of a lady says. _"May I speak with Byun Baekhyun?"_

"Listen, miss. I don't really have the time for anything you're trying to offer and─"

 _"I'm calling from Ears’ Heaven. Last night we received a Husky hybrid, his name is Chanyeol,"_ Baekhyun's heart begins to race inside his chest _"he had this necklace with his information on. He's quite injured─"_

"What?" His eyes widen.

_"We'll, he's still unconscious so we haven't been able to ask him what happened but─"_

"I'll be right there." Baekhyun says and hungs up. He rushes to the door with Jongin and Kyungsoo behind.

"What happened?" Jongin asks, worried.

"He's at Ears' Heaven, I'm─"

"That's on the other side of town." Jongin mumbles.

"I know."

"How did he—"

"I'm coming with you." Kyungsoo says, the determination in his eyes stops Baekhyun from denying him. He nods slowly and the three of them head out of the house.

The drive to the hybrids’ clinic usually takes an hour, but with all the traffic of an early morning it takes them around two. By the time they reach the clinic it's already ten in the morning.

Baekhyun rushes in, Jongin and Kyungsoo trying to keep up with his rapid pace.

"Excuse me? I'm here for Chanyeol? He's a husky hybrid, I got a call earlier." He says to the nurse behind the counter, tapping his fingers anxiously over the wood.

"Mr. Byun?" Baekhyun nods. "Right. Come with me, Chanyeol is awake and charming the nurses out of their shoes. He's a danger." The woman tells him with a bright and teasing smile, but Baekhyun doesn't have the time for jokes, he needs to see Chanyeol.

Baekhyun turns to look at Jongin and Kyungsoo, the cat hybrid still looks pissed, but he tries to ignore the menacing glances thrown his way and gives Jongin a small nod. The nurse leads him through the halls and to the elevator to take him to the second floor where she takes him through yet another set of hallways. He sees male and female nurses coming and going, the rooms occupied by all kinds of hybrids with their families; at least Chanyeol ended up in a good place.

Baekhyun takes a deep breath before the nurse pushes the door open. His stomach twists uncomfortably when he steps inside to find Chanyeol sitting on his bed, frowning at the bowl of food resting on the small tray over his legs. He has a bandage around his wrist and a few patches on his right cheek and eyebrows; his left eye has an ugly bruise and his lower lip it's split in half.

"Oh my god." Baekhyun mumbles, catching Chanyeol's attention. The hybrid looks up with his eyes wide in surprise. "Baby—"

"I'll leave you two alone. Call me if you need anything." The nurse smiles at them before leaving.

As soon as she's gone, Chanyeol looks down again.

"Yeol—"

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Baekhyun asks, confused. "I came for you of course."

Chanyeol scoffs. "Do you even care?" He grumbles.

"Chanyeol—"                      

"I believed you, when you say that you─" Chanyeol cuts himself off and closes his mouth, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Never mind, it doesn't matter anymore."

"You're overreacting, I—"

"Am I? I though you could actually see me as something more than just your... pet." Chanyeol spits and Baekhyun can feel his stomach and heart twisting painfully at the harshness of the words.

"Yeol, baby," Baekhyun reaches out for him, trying to touch him, but Chanyeol moves away. Baekhyun retrieves his hand and sighs in defeat, he knows he screwed up pretty bad this time. "I love you." Chanyeol doesn't say anything, he turns his head away instead.

"Did you know... that that girl was—" Baekhyun nods pitifully "then why did you—"

"I'm sorry, I did know she has feelings for me but I never imagined this would turn out this way. I invited her as my friend and she knew that."

"You didn't tell her you were with me, did you?" Baekhyun shakes his head. "So Kyungsoo was right... you _are_ ashamed of me."

"What? No! How can you say that?"

"You treated me like a dog in front of her!" Chanyeol protests. "I thought we were together. I've never felt so ashamed of myself before." His voice drops lower.

"Don't say that, please. Don't ever say that, I love you more than you can ever imagine."

"Obviously." Chanyeol mutters.

"Chan—"

"Is Kyungsoo here?" Chanyeol asks. It takes Baekhyun a moment to answer because the last thing he wants is to leave Chanyeol alone, but he ends up nodding, seeing as how the hybrid still refuses to talk to him. "I want to talk to him."

Baekhyun abandons the room with heavy steps and allows Kyungsoo in. The cat hybrid gives Baekhyun a glance before closing the door behind him.

"You scared the fuck out of me." Kyungsoo hisses, flicking Chanyeol's forehead.

"Ow!" Chanyeol whines, bringing his hand up to rub his already sore forehead.

"What the hell happened?" Kyungsoo asks, sitting down on the small metallic chair.

Chanyeol sighs. "I... kind of got lost. I didn't really know where I was. I was too distracted and then some dudes attacked me but I didn't have anything with me so they just beat me up. I managed to escape and since I didn't want to lead them back to Baekhyun's house, I took another route. I guess I was too tired to keep running so I just, passed out and when I woke up I was already here."

"You're an idiot. Do you have any idea of the hell we've been through since last night? Especially Baekhyun hyung." The cat hybrid crosses his arms against his chest.

"I don't think he cares—"

"Shut up, you know he cares. He loves you and you know that too." Kyungsoo frowns.

"It didn't seem like it last night. He was even trying to push me away so he could be with that girl." Chanyeol mumbles.

"Because he knew how you were going to react."

"If he knew, why did he do it in the first place?"

Kyungsoo sighs. "He's allowed to have friends. Just like you are."

"Well... yes, but my friends are not going around spreading hormones like animals in heat because of me."

"Because you're too dense to notice and you have Baekhyun's scent all over you."

"What?" Chanyeol frowns.

"That's not important right now." Kyungsoo shakes his head. "What matters is that you're okay. Now, can you please talk to Baekhyun and fix things up?"

Chanyeol lets out a long, drawn out sigh and nods, allowing Kyungsoo to let Baekhyun back in.

"Hyung—"

"I'm sorry." Baekhyun rushes to the bed next to him. "I was an idiot, Yeol, please forgive me. I love you, I really do and I don't want anyone else and I didn't mean what I said, you're not just a pet... you've never been."

"I'm sorry too." Chanyeol mumbles. "For behaving and leaving like that. I didn't want to worry you, I just—"

"You don't have to apologize. I'll be more careful of the people I bring home. It was wrong of me to do that and expect you to not react. I mean... what was I thinking—"

Chanyeol shakes his head. "Just kiss me, please?" He asks, pouting.

The grim expression on Baekhyun's face quickly disappears to let a wide grin spread on his lips. He leans in carefully to not squash him and hurt him and presses their lips together for a few seconds, but when he tries to pull away, Chanyeol grips on the collar of his shirt to keep him in place. Baekhyun giggles, letting Chanyeol do as he pleases.

"Can we not fight again?" Baekhyun asks once they've pulled away. He keeps his forehead pressed against Chanyeol's and his eyes closed.

"Yeah, we can do that." Chanyeol smiles and purses his lips to get another kiss.

Baekhyun slowly pulls away when they hear the clicking of the door opening. He turns to find a man in a white coat, messy auburn hair, small ears and a long tail swaying lazily on his back. Baekhyun swallows. A lion hybrid.

"Hello. Good morning." The doctor chirps. "I'm Dr. Kim Jongdae." He gives them a wide smile, showing a row of perfectly white and sharp teeth.

"Good morning." Baekhyun mumbles.

"So, Chanyeol! You got a pretty awful beating, huh?" He asks, looking down at medical sheet on his hands.

"Yeah, kind of." Chanyeol answers sheepishly.

Dr. Kim chuckles. "There's no internal bleeding and no concussions. I think you're ready to be discharged."

"Really?" Baekhyun asks, unable to hide his excitement.

"Yeah. He might suffer mild headaches for the next couple of days, nothing some painkillers can't handle and they'll be gone soon."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He's smiling that wide smile again, enough to creep Baekhyun out. He clears his throat and steps back, curling his lips in what he hopes to be a not so awkward smile. "I'll send a nurse with your clothes and then you're free to leave."

"Thanks, doc." Chanyeol says.

Baekhyun lets out a puff of air as soon as the doctor is gone.

"He's not that scary." Chanyeol tells him, lips twisting into a mocking grin.

"He's uh, yeah he—" Chanyeol laughs "oh, shut up."

Chanyeol's laughter only gets louder.         

…

"Hyung hurry up!" Chanyeol yells from the living room. "The movie it's starting!"

"Coming!" Baekhyun yells back, pouring the content of four popcorn bags into a bowl. It seems too much, but knowing Chanyeol, the bowl won't last even half of the movie. "Here— Chanyeol!" Baekhyun exclaims when he steps into the living room and the creepy music of the initial credits fill his ears. "We agreed on no horror movies for tonight!"

"I know, I know. But this one's really good, I promise!"

Baekhyun sighs. "Fine. Make room!" He exclaims and Chanyeol eagerly scrambles down the couch to sit on the blankets and pillows they've set on the floor, spreading his legs to let Baekhyun sit in between them.

"Thanks, babe." The hybrid says, grabbing a handful of popcorns and shoving them in his mouth.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and shakes his head, deciding to actually pay attention to the movie and not the way one of Chanyeol's hands absentmindedly rub his stomach from under his shirt.

His focus on the screen doesn't last much anyway. The movie is terrible, but in the best way a horror movie can be terrible. He spends half of the film with his eyes covered and screaming, Chanyeol laughing behind him; not even his boyfriend's arms around his waist can make him feel safe from the demons hunting that poor family on the screen.

"Hyung." Chanyeol mumbles. Baekhyun scrunches his nose up at the finger poking his cheek. Baekhyun hums and turns his head to the side to meet eyes with the younger. Chanyeol is smiling, as bright and dazzling as ever despite of the hearth wrenching screams coming from the TV; Baekhyun shivers at the odd contrast, but smiles back nonetheless, at least it's a good distraction. "I love you." The hybrid says, his cheeks coloring of red even when he has already said it a thousand times before. It never fails to be adorable.

Baekhyun's smile widens and pushes himself up a little to meet his boyfriend half way on a kiss. Chanyeol's lips are soft, like they always are; Baekhyun can taste the buttery saltiness of the popcorns and can also feel the way Chanyeol's grip around his waist tightens. He sighs, his heart feels content and his life feels complete.

Up until now, he doesn't regret having gone back to the shelter that day and have brought that hyper little puppy with big bright eyes home. All the fortune spent on new furniture in the past be damned.


End file.
